Abbott To Sell Its Core Laboratory Diagnostics Business, Including
Point Of Care, To GE For $8.13 Billion

ABBOTT PARK, Ill., January 18, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Abbott today announced that it will sell its core laboratory
diagnostics business included in the Abbott Diagnostics Division
and Abbott Point of Care (formerly known as i-STAT) to GE for $8.13
billion in cash, resulting in approximately $6 billion in after-tax
proceeds. Abbott's Molecular Diagnostics and Diabetes Care (glucose
monitoring) businesses are not part of the transaction and will
remain part of Abbott.

Over the past several years, Abbott has made a number of
acquisitions and completed other strategic actions that have
transformed the company and positioned it for higher growth by
strengthening the mix of its medical and pharmaceutical portfolio
toward innovation and technology-driven businesses in emerging
therapeutic areas. These include: Knoll Pharmaceuticals in 2001,
TheraSense (blood glucose monitoring) in 2004, and Guidant's
vascular business and Kos Pharmaceuticals (a leader in lipid
management medicines), both in 2006. Additionally, Abbott spun off
its hospital products business into a separate NYSE-traded company
named Hospira in 2004.

"The laboratory diagnostics market has changed considerably in
the last decade. Innovation in this segment will be increasingly
driven by automation, system integration and a host of skills that
GE can offer," said Miles D. White, chairman and chief executive
officer, Abbott. "As part of GE, Abbott's core diagnostics and
point-of-care businesses will be powerfully positioned to sustain
and extend their market success."

The sale of Abbott's core laboratory diagnostics business to GE
is expected to close in the first half of 2007 and is subject to
customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

The transaction is expected to be neutral to Abbott earnings per
share in 2007, excluding specified items, and accretive
thereafter.

Abbott will conduct a special conference call with the
investment community and the media today at 5 p.m. Central time (6
p.m. Eastern time) to provide an overview of the transaction. The
live webcast will be accessible through Abbott's Investor Relations
Web site at http://www.abbottinvestor.com
. An archived edition of the call will be available after 8 p.m.
Central time (9 p.m. Eastern time).

About Abbott

Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to
the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of
pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals,
devices and diagnostics. The company employs 65,000 people and
markets its products in more than 130 countries.

Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 -

A Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Some statements in this news release may be forward-looking
statements for the purposes of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. We caution that these forward-looking
statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause
actual results to differ materially from those indicated. Economic,
competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may
affect Abbott's operations are discussed in Item 1A, "Risk
Factors," and Exhibit 99.1 to our Annual Report on Securities and
Exchange Commission Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2005, and
in Item 1A, "Risk Factors," to our Quarterly Report on Securities
and Exchange Commission Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31,
2006, and are incorporated by reference. We undertake no obligation
to release publicly any revisions to forward- looking statements as
the result of subsequent events or developments.

CONTACT: Media, Melissa Brotz, +1-847-935-3456, or Jonathon
Hamilton,+1-847-935-8646, or Investors, John Thomas,
+1-847-938-2655, or LarryPeepo, +1-847-935-6722, all for Abbott